Similarly, there is now a recognition that history is best not paved over: that it is part of a sense of patriotism and national identity qualities the government certainly does want to inculcate.

ECONOMIST: Asian nation-building

The isolation of relatively few collaborators and their punishment for treason was part of an urgent campaign to revive a sense of national pride and identity.

ECONOMIST: French writers

There is no strong sense of a national identity or a national vocation calling for military expression.

ECONOMIST: Russia

The side streets that fan out from it are home to a number of cultural and environmental agencies, including the Royal Film Commission and Wild Jordan -- and in this blossoming street network you get a sense of a new creative national identity sprouting up.

BBC: The cosmopolitan crossroads of the Middle East

"On the other hand, there is this strong sense of patriotism and a bit of insecurity about our national identity, " she says.

CNN: Chinese tourism: The good, the bad and the backlash

Some may base their choice on a deep sense of political allegiance or national identity, others find their paths steered by how their chosen sport is organised within the island of Ireland.

BBC: An Olympian spirit of generosity

Many concern presidential speeches, which he wrote himself, hated giving but considered vital for creating the right sense of national identity for a new republic.

ECONOMIST: Vaclav Havel

Ocalan, 49, said late last year he had little sense of national identity until he was a teenager, but was struck by the powerlessness of his poor, illiterate farming parents.

CNN: Nationalists without a nation

This consensus marks a line in the sand, beyond which Russia cannot retreat without losing its sense of pride or even national identity.

FORBES: The 'Putin Doctrine' And The Real Reason For Russian-American Conflict